RIP rsync [AI Slop]

[RussellASC]

https://old.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/1tqvkxz/rsync_343_might_break_incremental_backups_for_you/

Here comes the AI slop into core system utilities. Further reason why I want bullshit parrots nowhere near any critical software.

 

[drhowarddrfine]

Do you have a better reference for this than the dung heap that is reddit?

 

[RussellASC]

Well it links to a Mastodon post. You can also check the Github for rsync, and see the Claude commits all over the recent history. I've been trying to find a distro that confirms the incremental backup error, but I'm alarmed enough that Claude is involved.

I'm not only saying it's broken due to AI slop, I mean AI slop is rapidly being introduced into rsync.

 

[RussellASC]

Regression in 3.4.3, "Invalid argument (22)" on all file reads when using native protocol · Issue #897 · RsyncProject/rsync

In rsync 3.4.3, when doing a simple remote directory read using native protocol, we see the following regression: rsync -av --delete imap::top/mnt/ /tmp/foo/ receiving incremental file list rsync: ...

github.com

 

[Phishfry]

This can't be true. AI has 5 nines accuracy....

tridge and claude committed 2 weeks ago

When smart people get psychosis it it very worrying to me. Stupid people are easily led astray.
You would think smart people have the power of wisdom and reasoning but that seems to be false lately.

Leading the pied piper off the cliff is Human Laziness?

 

[Phishfry]

In the physical world of math you do "Proof of Work".

That seems to be missing with AI. It blurts stuff out but doesn't check its own work.

 

[Phishfry]

Its not lost on me that AI found bug in rsync and the AI was used for a security patch that was a fail.

Better yet is the AI Kryptonite that only 37 US Companies have access to.

Too dangerous to release: is Mythos the start of the restricted-AI era?

What happens when AI companies produce models that they say the public can’t have — and how should users and governments react?

www.nature.com

I really have no objections to massive AI attack on opensource code. It will get fixed and we get better code. I hope.

Help Over Hype: Claude Mythos, Project Glasswing and the Real Questions CISOs Want Answered by Mark Wojtasiak

Claude Mythos accelerates risk—not just hype. Learn what CISOs must focus on now: visibility, speed, and understanding attacks as they unfold.

www.vectra.ai

 

[mer]

I took a quick glance at the links; what I find amusing is "AI detected these things, AI generated these fixes" and then next commit "Ai detected these things, AI generated these fixes for the fixes that AI generated on last commit"

Positive feedback loop for $500 please Alex?

 

[atax1a]

doing that thing where we stare into the camera

 

[bakul]

You can always use net/openrsync.

 

[Phishfry]

How about a file copying program without network hooks?

/sysutils/clone

Since AI ruined the internet I cannot search on FreshPorts for the category. I refuse to create an account.
Now thanks to Trillion dollar companies it goes like this:
find /usr/ports -name clone
pkg search -o clone

 

[Espionage724]

Regression in 3.4.3, "Invalid argument (22)" on all file reads when using native protocol · Issue #897 · RsyncProject/rsync

In rsync 3.4.3, when doing a simple remote directory read using native protocol, we see the following regression: rsync -av --delete imap::top/mnt/ /tmp/foo/ receiving incremental file list rsync: ...

github.com

I only used rsync a few times thinking it'd be useful for NAS restores; plain cp is still fine

Regardless of AI, I don't like the idea of rewriting stuff to Python nor would I imagine doing serious file management involving Python. There shouldn't be complexity with putting files somewhere.

 

[mer]

rsync is useful for "cross system" copying. Personally, I've found it useful to "clone" work machines: old machine is almost dead, work gives me new one, rsync home directory.

 

[Phishfry]

It was a stupid comment. syncing is very different than cloning.
Regardless this program does so much it does seem too much for my needs. I used it for a spell.
rsync -avx -Whav -dvz --progress
Is in my crib notes from yesteryear.

 

[bakul]

plain cp is still fine

Back in the day when tcp/ip was uncommon, I used to carry around a program called "cpt" (copy-tree) for my contracting jobs as cp wasn't quite flexible enough. It also behaved differently based on the name it was called with; e.g. copy, move, link, symlink, flatten (tar), make-tree (untar). But I stopped using it a long time ago as rsync was more than good enough.

$ cpt -h
Usage: cpt [-abcCdDehiI:lLnNoO:prsStTuvVx] file1 file2
  or   cpt [-abcCdDehiI:lLnNoO:prsStTuvVx] file1 ... directory
    where
        -a      ask on all files
        -b      backup - only if st_ctime of source > dest
        -c      complain about unresolved links
        -C      copy if link not possible
        -d      ask only on directories and special files
        -D <n>  print debugging info of level <n>
        -e      operate only if destination exists
        -i      interactive - ask if would overwrite
        -I <f>  take source file names from input file <f>
        -l      link if possible
        -L      sym Link if possible
        -n      only if file doesn't already exist
        -N      No copy or link or mkdir, just do -t and -o
        -o      owner - preserve uid and gid
        -O <f>  put source files names operated on in file <f>
        -p      full path name to destination
        -r      recursive
        -s      do special files specially
        -S      copy/link/symLink only if src & dst files are the same
        -T      retain original source access time
        -u      unlink dest file before copying
        -v,V    verbose, partial (v) or full(V)
        -x      Do not cross a mount point

Yeah, it "evolved" over the years!